Sampling Results For Flathead Lake Sheen Expected Monday

The sheen on Flathead Lake near Somers was first reported to the EPA earlier this week. Thursday, BNSF took steps to contain it. A BNSF representative told MTPR yesterday that early field indicators suggest the sheen comes from a natural organic source.

The sheen on Flathead Lake near Somers was first reported to the EPA earlier this week. Thursday, BNSF took steps to contain it. A BNSF representative told MTPR yesterday that early field indicators suggest the sheen comes from a natural organic source.

Nicky Ouellet

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Sampling Results For Flathead Lake Sheen Expected Monday

BNSF railway and the Environmental Protection Agency are both waiting on sampling results to determine the source of the unidentified sheen on Flathead Lake in Somers. They expect those results back by Monday.

The sheen was first reported to the EPA earlier this week. Thursday, BNSF took steps to contain it. A BNSF representative told MTPR yesterday that early field indicators suggest the sheen comes from a natural organic source, rather than a man-made chemical source.

The sheen is not far from the former Somers Tie Plant, which treated railway ties with creosote and other chemicals for several decades before being listed as a Superfund site in the mid-1980s. BNSF, in coordination with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA, oversaw soil and water cleanup, and continues to monitor the site.

HELENA - About 10 people testified Wednesday for a bill that would create a task force to help communities prepare for and respond to incidents involving hazardous materials.

Democratic Rep. Denise Hayman of Bozeman said she’s carrying House Bill 296, "to bring the experts together to discuss how we might be better prepared to respond to a disaster, especially in our more remote, rural areas."